Method and apparatus for providing and maintaining a user-interactive portal system accessible via internet or other switched-packet-network

ABSTRACT

An Internet Portal is enabled by software executing on an Internet-connected server. The Portal, in response to a log-on by a user, presents a secure and personalized page for and to the user, the personalized page having listed plural Internet destinations enabled by hyperlinks, wherein upon invocation of a hyperlink by the subscriber, such as by a point-and-click technique, the portal invokes a URL for the destination, and upon connection with the destination, transparently provides any required log-on information for user access at the destination. In an enhanced embodiment a search function is provided wherein a user may configure searches in any or all of the listed destinations on a personalized page. Provision is provided for log-on by limited appliances, such as by a Smartcard or embedded password, and in some embodiments functionality is provided in a browser plug-in wherein a user may navigate to a site, and, in response to a request for log-in data, the subscriber may use a hot key or pointer input, which will cause the browser to access and provide the needed data from the Password-All source.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention is in the field of Internet navigation andbrowsing, and pertains more particularly to methods and apparatus forproviding and maintaining an Internet portal configured to provideaccess to an interaction with other Internet information sources.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The information network known as the world wide web (WWW), whichis a subset of the well-known Internet, is arguably the most completesource of publicly-accessible information available. Anyone with asuitable Internet appliance such as a personal computer with a standardInternet connection may access (go on-line) and navigate to informationpages (termed web pages) stored on Internet-connected servers for thepurpose of garnering information and initiating transactions with hostsof such servers and pages.

[0003] Many companies offer various subscription services accessible viathe Internet. For example, many people now do their banking, stocktrading, shopping, and so forth from the comfort of their own homes viaInternet access. Typically, a user, through subscription, has access topersonalized and secure WEB pages for such functions. By typing in auser name and a password or other personal identification code, a usermay obtain information, initiate transactions, buy stock, and accomplisha myriad of other tasks.

[0004] One problem that is encountered by an individual who has severalor many such subscriptions to Internet-brokered services is that thereare invariably many passwords and/or log-in codes to be used. Often asame password or code cannot be used for every service, as the passwordor code may already be taken by another user. A user may not wish tosupply a code unique to the user such as perhaps a social securitynumber because of security issues, including quality of security, thatmay vary from service to service. Additionally, many users at their ownvolition may choose different passwords for different sites so as tohave increased security, which in fact also increases the number ofpasswords a user may have.

[0005] Another issue that can plague a user who has many passwordedsubscriptions is the fact that they must bookmark many WEB pages in acomputer cache so that they may quickly find and access the variousservices. For example, in order to reserve and pay for airline travel, auser must connect to the Internet, go to his/her book-marks file andselect an airline page. The user then has to enter a user name andpassword, and follow on-screen instructions once the page is delivered.If the user wishes to purchase tickets from the WEB site, and wishes totransfer funds from an on-line banking service, the user must also lookfor and select the personal bank or account page to initiate a fundstransfer for the tickets. Different user names and passwords may berequired to access these other pages, and things get quite complicated.

[0006] Although this preceding example is merely exemplary, it isgenerally known that much work related to finding WEB pages, logging inwith passwords, and the like is required to successfully do business onthe WEB.

[0007] What is clearly needed is an interactive Internet portal thatwill enable users to store their WEB pages, user names, and passwords,and that can accomplish pre-defined tasks such as navigation andinteraction between WEB servers based on user pre-programming (userprofiles). Such a system would greatly simplify on-line or network-basedbusiness transactions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention an InternetPortal is provided, comprising an Internet-connected server; and aportal software executing on the server. The portal, in response to alog-on by a user, presents a secure and personalized page for the user,the personalized page having a list of Internet destinations enabled byhyperlinks, wherein, upon invocation of a hyperlink by the subscriber,the portal invokes a URL for the destination, and upon connection withthe destination, transparently provides any required log-on informationrequired for user access at the destination.

[0009] The Portal server can be a part of an Internet server used foranother purpose, and may be hosted therefore by such as an Internetservice provider (ISP).

[0010] In some embodiments search functions are provided, and in thesame or other embodiments, after a user invokes a hyperlink, duringnavigation time to the invoked destination, the Portal software accessesand displays one or more informative displays to the user. Informativedisplays may be one or more advertisements. Further, in some embodimentsperiodic summaries may be provided for accounts associated withdestinations on the user's WEB page.

[0011] In another aspect of the invention an Internet Portal is providedcomprising an Internet-connected server; and a portal software executingon the server. In this aspect the portal interacts with a browserplug-in executing on a subscriber's computer station, such that, whenthe user invokes a destination from the browser, wherein the destinationrequires a secure log-on, the portal software cooperates with thebrowser plug-in to furnish the data necessary for a successful log-ontransparent to the user. In this embodiment as well, after a userinvokes a hyperlink, during navigation time to the invoked destination,the Portal software cooperates with the user's browser plug-in to accessand display one or more informative displays to the user. Theinformative displays may be one or more advertisements. Further, in someembodiments periodic summaries may be provided for accounts associatedwith destinations on the user's WEB page.

[0012] In yet another aspect an Internet Portal application executableon an Internet-connected server is provided, comprising a log-onfacility adapted for users to enter log-on information for access to thePortal application; and a plurality of stored personal pages associatedeach with one or more specific users. In this aspect individualpersonalized pages list plural Internet destinations enabled byhyperlinks, wherein upon invocation of a hyperlink by a user, the portalinvokes a URL for the destination, and upon connection with thedestination, transparently provides any required log-on information foruser access at the destination. After transparent log-on to an invokeddestination, the page at the destination is conveyed to and displayedfor the user. The application may be adapted to execute on a serverhosted by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to which the userssubscribe. There may also be a search function adapted to searchselected ones of listed destinations in user's pages for defined searchcriteria.

[0013] In this aspect as well, after a user invokes a hyperlink, duringnavigation time to the invoked destination, the Portal software canaccess and display one or more informative displays to the user, whichmay be advertisements. Further, in some embodiments periodic summariesmay be provided for accounts associated with destinations on the user'sWEB page.

[0014] In yet another aspect an Internet Portal application executableon an Internet-connected server is provided, comprising a log-onfacility adapted for users to enter log-on information for access to thePortal application; and

[0015] a plurality of stored personal pages associated each with one ormore specific users. The portal application interacts with a browserplug-in executing on a subscriber's computer station, such that, whenthe user invokes a destination from the browser, wherein the destinationrequires a secure log-on, the portal software cooperates with thebrowser plug-in to furnish the data necessary for a successful log-ontransparent to the user.

[0016] In this embodiment as well as others, the application may beadapted to execute on a server hosted by an Internet Service Provider(ISP) to which the users subscribe. Also, as in some other embodiments,after a user invokes a hyperlink, during navigation time to the invokeddestination, the Portal software, in cooperation with the browserplug-in, accesses and displays one or more informative displays to theuser, which may be commercial advertisements. Further, in someembodiments periodic summaries may be provided for accounts associatedwith destinations on the user's WEB page.

[0017] In addition to the apparatus and software applications provided,several methods are taught in the following enabling disclosure as well.In the disclosure, for the first time, an invention is described thatallows a subscriber to safely and securely navigate to any of multipledestinations on the Internet with a single point-and-click, and in thecase of destinations requiring secure log on, the log on may beaccomplished completely transparently to the user, while stillmaintaining strict security of the user's passwords and other securitydata.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0018]FIG. 1 is an overview of an Internet portal-system and networkaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019]FIG. 2 is an exemplary plan view of a personalized Portal homepage application as it may be seen on a display monitor according to anembodiment of the present invention.

[0020]FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating user interaction with theInternet portal of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, aunique Internet portal is provided and adapted to provide uniqueservices to users who have obtained access via an Internet or othernetwork connection from an Internet-capable appliance. Such an interfaceprovides users with a method for storing many personal WEB pages andfurther provides search function and certain task-performing functions.The methods and apparatus of the present invention are taught inenabling detail below.

[0022]FIG. 1 is an overview of an Internet portal system 11 and Internetnetwork 13 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Portalsystem 11, in this embodiment, operates as an ISP in addition to aunique network portal, but may, in other embodiments be implemented as astand-alone Internet server. In yet other embodiments the service andapparatus described herein may also be provided by such as a search andlisting service (AltaVista™, Yahoo™) or by any other enterprise hostinga WEB-connected server.

[0023] Internet 13 is representative of a preferred use of the presentinvention, but should not be considered limiting, as the invention couldapply in other networks and combinations of networks.

[0024] ISP 15 in this embodiment comprises a server 31, a modem bank 33,represented here by a single modem, and a mass storage repository 29 forstoring digital data. The modem bank is a convenience, as connection tothe server could be by another type of network link. ISP 15, as istypical in the art, provides Internet access services for individualsubscribers. In addition to well-known Internet access services, ISP 15also provides a unique subscription service as an Internet portal forthe purpose of storing many WEB pages or destinations along with anypasswords and or personal codes associated with those pages, in a mannerdescribed in more detail below. This unique portal service is providedby execution, of Portal Software 35, which is termed by the inventorsthe Password-All suite. The software of the invention is referred toherein both as the Portal Software, and as the Password-all softwaresuite. Also, in much of the description below, the apparatus of theinvention is referred to by the Password-All terminology, such as thePassword-All Server or Password-All Portal.

[0025] ISP 15 is connected to Internet 13 as shown. Other equipmentknown in the art to be present and connected to a network such asInternet 13, for example, IP data routers, data switches, gatewayrouters, and the like, are not illustrated here but may be assumed to bepresent. Access to ISP 15 is through a connection-oriented telephonesystem as is known in the art, or through any other Internet/WEB accessconnection, such as through a cable modem, special network connection(e.g. T1), ISDN, and so forth. Such connection is illustrated via accessline 19 from Internet appliance 17 through modem bank 33.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment a user has access to InternetPassword-All Portal services by a user name and password as iswell-known in the art, which provides an individualized WEB page to thesubscriber. In another embodiment wherein a user has other individualsthat use his or her Internet account, then an additional password orcode unique to the user may be required before access to portal 31 isgranted. Such personalized Portal WEB pages may be stored in repository29, which may be any convenient form of mass storage.

[0027] Three Internet servers 23, 25, and 27, are shown in Internet 13,and represent Internet servers hosted by various enterprises andsubscribed to by a user operating appliance 17. For example, server 23may be a bank server wherein interactive on-line banking and accountmanaging may be performed. Server 25 may be an investment server whereininvestment accounts may be created and managed. Server 27 may be anairline or travel server wherein flights may be booked, tickets may bepurchased, and so on. In this example, all three servers are secureservers requiring user ID and password for access, but the invention isnot necessarily limited to just secure services.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a subscribinguser operating an Internet-capable appliance, such as appliance 17,connects to Password-All Portal system 11 hosted by ISP 15, and therebygains access to a personalized, interactive WEB page, which in turnprovides access to any one of a number of servers on Internet 13 such asservers 23, 25, and 27, without being required to enter additionalpasswords or codes. In a preferred embodiment the software that enablesthis service is termed Password-All by the inventors. Password-All maybe considered to be a software suite executing on the unique server, andin some instances also on the user's station (client). Additionalinteractivity provided by portal software 35 allows a connected user tosearch his listed pages for information associated with keywords, textstrings, or the like, and allows a user to program user-defined tasksinvolving access and interaction with one or more Internet-connectedservers such as servers 23, 25, and 27 according to a pre-defined timeschedule. These functions are taught in enabling detail below.

[0029]FIG. 2 is an illustration of a personalized portal page as may beseen on a display monitor according to an embodiment of the presentinvention, provided by Password-All Portal software 35 executing onserver 31, in response to secure access by a subscriber. Page 32presents an interactive listing 34 of user-subscribed or member WEBpages, identified in this example by URL, but which may also beidentified by any convenient pseudonym, preferably descriptive, alongwith user name and typically encrypted password information for eachpage. Listed in a first column under destination, are exemplarydestinations LBC.com, My Bank.com, My Stocks.com, My shopping.com,Mortgage.com, and Airline.com. These are but a few of many exemplarydestinations that may be present and listed as such on page 33. In orderto view additional listings listed but not immediately viewable fromwithin application 33, a scroll bar 35 is provided and adapted to allowa user to scroll up or down the list to enable viewing as is known inthe art.

[0030] Items listed in list 34 in this example may be considereddestinations on such as servers 23, 25, and 27 of FIG. 1. Typically theURL associated with an item on this list will not take a user to aserver, per se, but to a page stored on a server. User names andpassword data associated with each item in list 34 are illustrated inrespective columns labeled user name, and password, to the right of thecolumn labeled destination. Each listing, or at least a portion of eachlisting, is a hyperlink invoking, when selected, the URL to thatdestination. In some instances a particular service may have more thanone associated URL. For example, My Bank.com may have more than one URLassociated for such as different accounts or businesses associated alsowith a single subscriber. In this case there may be a sub-listing fordifferent destinations associated with a single higher-level listing.This expedient is not shown, but, given this teaching the mechanism willbe apparent to those with skill in the art.

[0031] In some embodiments one page 33 may be shared by more than oneuser, such as a husband and wife sharing a common account andsubscription. An instance of this is illustrated herein with respect tothe server labeled Mortgage.com wherein both a John and a Jane Doe arelisted together under the column labeled user name. In anotherembodiment, a network of individuals, perhaps business owners,authorized co-workers, investment parties, or the like may share oneapplication. In this way, system 11 may be adapted for privateindividuals as well as business uses.

[0032] After gaining access to application 33 which is served viaInternet portal server 31 of FIG. 1, a user may scroll, highlight, andselect any URL in his or her list 34 for the purpose of navigation tothat particular destination for further interaction. Application 33already has each password and user name listed for each URL. It is notnecessary, however, that the password and user name be displayed for auser or users. These may well be stored transparently in a user'sprofile, and invoked as needed as a user makes selections. Therefore, auser is spared the need of entering passwords and user names for anydestinations enabled by list 34. Of course, each list 34 is built,configured and maintained by a subscribing user or users, and an editingfacility is also provided wherein a user may edit and update listings,including changing URL's adding and deleting listings, and the like.

[0033] In another aspect of the invention new listings for a user'sprofile, such as a new passthrough to a bank or other enterprise page,may be added semi-automatically as follows: Typically, when a user opensa new account with an enterprise through interaction with a WEB pagehosted by the enterprise, the user is required to provide certaininformation, which will typically include such as the user's ID,address, e-mail account, and so forth, and typically a new user name andpassword to access the account. In this process the user will beinteracting with the enterprise's page from his/her browser. APassword-All plug-in is provided wherein, after entering the requiredinformation for the new enterprise, the user may activate apre-determined signal (right click, key stroke, etc.), and thePassword-All suite will then enter a new passthrough in the user'sPassword. All profile at the Password-All Portal server.

[0034] In a related method for new entries, the enterprise hosting thePassword-All Portal may, by agreement with other enterprises, providelog-in and sign-up services at the Password-All Portal, with most actiontransparent to the user. For example, there may be, at the Password-AllPortal, a selectable browser list of cooperating enterprises, such asbanks, security services, and the like, and a user having a Password-AllPortal subscription and profile may select among such cooperatingenterprises and open new accounts, which will simultaneously andautomatically be added to the Password-All Portal page for the user andto the server hosted by the cooperating enterprise. There may be someinteractivity required for different accounts, but in the main, muchinformation from the user's profile may be used directly without beingre-entered.

[0035] The inventors have anticipated that many potential users may wellbe suspicious of providing passwords and user names to an enterprisehosting a Password-All Portal Server executing a service likePassword-All according to embodiments of the present invention. Toaccommodate this problem, in preferred embodiments, it is not necessarythat the user provide the cleartext password to Password. All. Instead,an encrypted version of each password is provided. When a user links tohis passthrough page in Password-All at the Password-All Portal server,when he/she invokes a hyperlink, the encrypted password is returned tothe user's system, which then, by virtue of the kept encryption key ormaster password, invokes the true and necessary password for connectionto the selected destination. It is thus not necessary that cleartextpasswords be stored at the Password-All Portal server, where they may bevulnerable to attack from outside sources, or to perceived misuse inother ways as well.

[0036] In a related safety measure, in a preferred embodiment of theinvention, a user's complete profile is never stored on a single server,but is distributed over two or more, preferably more, servers, so anyproblem with any one server will minimize the overall effect for anyparticular user.

[0037] Password-All, as described above, allows a user to access acomplete list of the user's usual cyberspace destinations, complete withnecessary log-on data, stored in an encrypted fashion, so a user maysimply select a destination (a hyperlink) in the Password-All list, andthe user's browser then invokes the URL for the selected destination. Inan added feature, Password-All may display banner ads and other types ofadvertisement during the navigation time between a hyperlink beinginvoked and the time the destination WEB page is displayed.

[0038] In yet another embodiment of the invention, a user/subscriberneed not access the Password-All page to enjoy the advantages of theunique features provided. In this variation, a Plug-In is provided forthe subscriber's WEB browser. If the subscriber navigates by use of thelocal browser to a WEB page requiring a secure log-in, such as his/heron-line banking destination, when the subscriber is presented with aninput window for ID and Password, the plug in may be activated by apredetermined user input, such as a hot key or right click of the mousedevice. The plug-in then accesses, transparently, the Password-All page(which may be cached at the client), and automatically accesses andprovides the needed data for log-on.

[0039] In yet another aspect of the invention a search option 37 allowsa user to search list 34 for specific URL's based on typed input such askeywords or the like. In some cases, the number of URL's stored in list34 can be extensive making a search function such as function 37 anattractive option. A criteria dialog box 51 illustrated as logicallyseparated from and below list 34 is provided and adapted to accept inputfor search option 37 as is known in the art. In one embodiment, searchoption 37 may bring up a second window wherein a dialog box such as box51 could be located.

[0040] In another aspect of the invention the search function may alsobe configured in a window invoked from window 33, and caused to searchall or selected ones of listed destinations, and to return results in amanner that may be, at least to some extent, configured by a user. Forexample, a dialog box may be presented wherein a user may enter a searchcriteria, and select among all of the listed destinations. The searchwill then be access each of the selected destinations in turn, and theresult may be presented to the user as each instance of the criteria isfound, or results may be listed in a manner to be accessed after thesearch.

[0041] Preferably the search function is a part of the Password-AllPortal software, available for all users, and may be accessed byhyperlinks in user's personal pages. In some embodiments users maycreate highly individualized search functions that may be stored in amanner to be usable only by the user who creates such a function.

[0042] In many aspects of the present invention a knowledge of specificWEB pages, and certain types of WEB pages, is highly desirable. In manyembodiments characteristics of destination WEB pages are researched bypersons (facilitators) maintaining and enhancing Password-All Portalsoftware 35, and many characteristics may be provided in configurationmodules for users to accomplish specific tasks. In most cases thesecharacteristics are invoked and incorporated transparent to the user.

[0043] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the Password-Allsuite is structured to provide periodic reports to a user, in a mannerto be structured and timed by the user, through the user's profile. Forexample, reports of changes in account balances in bank accounts, stockpurchases, stock values, total airline travel purchases, frequent-fliermiles, and the like may be summarized and provided to the users in manydifferent ways. Because the Password-All Portal server with thePassword-All software site handles a broad variety of transactionaltraffic for a user, there is an opportunity to summarize and collect andprocess statistics in many useful ways. In preferred embodiments of theinvention such reports may be furnished and implemented in a number ofdifferent ways, including being displayed on the user's secure personalWEB page on the Password-All Portal.

[0044] In addition to the ability of performing tasks as describedabove, task results including reports, and hard documents such asairline tickets may be sent over the Internet or other datapacket-networks to user-defined destinations such as fax machines,connected computer nodes, e-mail servers, and other Internet-connectedappliances. All tasks may be set-up and caused to run according touser-defined schedules while the user is doing something else or isotherwise not engaged with the scheduled task.

[0045] In another embodiment of the present invention, recognizing theincreasing use of the Internet for fiscal transactions, such aspurchasing goods and services, a facility is provided in a user—sprofile to automatically track transactions made at variousdestinations, and to authorize payment either on atransaction-by-transaction basis, or after a session, using access tothe user's bank accounts, all of which may be pre-programmed andauthorized by the user.

[0046] Other functions or options illustrated as part of application 35include a last URL option 41, an update function 43, and an add function45. Function 41 allows a user to immediately navigate to a last visitedURL. Update function 43 provides a means of updating URL's for contentand new address. An add function enables a user to add additional URL'sto list 34. Similarly, function 45 may also provide a means to deleteentries. Other ways to add accounts are described above. It should benoted that the services provided by the unique Password-All Portal inembodiments of the present invention, and by the Password-All softwaresuite are not limited to destinations requiring passwords and usernames. The Password-All Portal and software in many embodiments may alsobe used to manage all of a user's bookmarks, including editing ofbookmarks and the like. In this aspect, bookmarks will typically bepresented in indexed, grouped, and hierarchical ways.

[0047] There are editing features provided with Password-All for adding,acquiring, deleting, and otherwise managing bookmarks. As a convenience,in many embodiments of the invention, bookmarks may be downloaded from auser's Password-All site, and loaded onto the same user's local browser.In this manner, additions and improvements in the bookmark set for auser may be used without the necessity of going to Password-All.Further, bookmarks may be uploaded from a user's local PC to his/herhome page on the Password-All site by use of one or more Password-Allplug-ins.

[0048] It will be apparent to the skilled artisan, given the teachingherein, that the functionality provided in various embodiments of theinvention is especially applicable to Internet-capable appliances thatmay be limited in input capability. For example, a set-top box in a WEBTV application may well be without a keyboard for entering IDs andPasswords and the like. In practice of the present invention keyboardentry is minimized or eliminated. The same comments apply to many othersorts of Internet appliances.

[0049] In preferred embodiments of the invention, once a subscriber-useris in Password-All, only an ability to point-and-click is needed for allnavigation. To get into the Password-All site, using a limitedapparatus, such as an appliance without a keyboard or keypad, aSmartcard or embedded password may be used, or some other type ofauthentication.

[0050] It will be apparent to one with skill in the art that aninteractive application such as application 33 may be provided in a formother than a WEB page without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent invention. For example, an application such as application 33may be provided as a downloadable module or program that may be set-upand configured off-line and made operational when on-line.

[0051]FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating user interaction with theInternet Password-All Portal of FIG. 1. The following process stepsillustrated, according to an embodiment of the present invention, areintended to illustrate exemplary user-steps and automated softwareprocesses that may be initiated and invoked during interaction with anInternet portal of the present invention such as portal 31 of FIG. 1. Instep 53 a user connects to the Internet or another previously describedswitched-packet network via a compatible appliance such as Internetappliance 17 of FIG. 1.

[0052] At step 55, a user enters a user-name and password which, in oneembodiment, may simply be his ISP user name and password. In anotherembodiment, a second password or code would be required to access anInternet portal such as portal server 31 of FIG. 1 after logging ontothe Internet through the ISP. In some cases, having a specialarrangement with the ISP, there may be one password for both Internetaccess through the ISP and for Password-All. At step 57 a personal WEBpage such as page 32 of FIG. 2 is displayed via Internet portal server31. At minimum, the personalized WEB page will contain all userconfigured URL's, and may also be enhanced by a search function, amongother possibilities.

[0053] In step 58 a user will, minimally, select a URL from his or herbookmarked destinations, and as is known by hyperlink technology, thetransparent URL will be invoked, and the user will navigate to thatdestination for the purpose of normal user interaction. In this action,the Password-All Portal software transparently logs the user on to thedestination page, if such log-on is needed.

[0054] At step 60 the user invokes a search engine by clicking on anoption such as described option 37 of FIG. 2. At step 62, the userinputs search parameters into a provided text field such as text field51 of FIG. 2. After inputting such parameters, the user starts thesearch by a button such as button 52. The search engine extractsinformation in step 64. Such information may be, in one option, of theform of URL's fitting the description provided by search parameters. Asearched list of URL's may be presented in a separate generated page instep 66 after which a user may select which URL to navigate to. In anoptional search function, the user may provide search criteria, andsearch any or all of the possible destinations for the criteria.

[0055] In another embodiment wherein WEB pages are cached in theirpresentable form, information extracted in step 64 may include anyinformation contained in any of the stored pages such as text, pictures,interactive content, or the like. In this case, one displayed resultpage may provide generated links to search results that include the URLassociated with the results. Perhaps by clicking on a text or graphicresult, the associated WEB page will be displayed for the user with theresult highlighted and in view with regards to the display window.

[0056] The method and apparatus of the present invention may bepracticed via private individuals on the Internet, businesses operatingon a WAN connected to the Internet, businesses operating via privateWAN, and so on. There are many customizable situations.

[0057] The present invention as taught herein and above should beafforded the broadest of scope. The spirit and scope of the presentinvention is limited only by the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. An Internet Portal, comprising: anInternet-connected server; and a portal software executing on theserver; wherein the Portal, in response to log-on by a user from auser's Internet-connected appliance, presents a secure and personalizedpage for the user, the personalized page having a list of Internetdestinations enabled by hyperlinks, wherein, upon invocation of ahyperlink by the user, the portal invokes a URL for the destination, andupon connection with the destination, transparently provides anyrequired log-on information required for user access at the destination.2. The Internet Portal of claim 1 wherein required log-on informationincludes a password, and wherein the password is stored at the InternetPortal in an encrypted form, and is exchanged with cooperating softwareat the user's appliance, where it is decrypted and passed on to thedestination for log-on.
 3. The Internet Portal of claim 1 wherein theuser connects to the Portal through an Internet Service Provider (ISP),and after transparent log-on to an invoked destination, the page at thedestination is conveyed to and displayed for the user.
 4. The InternetPortal of claim 1 wherein the Portal is enabled by software executing ata server hosted by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to which the usersubscribes.
 5. The Internet Portal of claim 1 further comprising asearch function adapted to search selected ones of listed destinationsfor defined search criteria.
 6. The Internet Portal of claim 1 wherein,after a user invokes a hyperlink, during navigation time to the invokeddestination, the Portal software accesses and displays one or moreinformative displays to the user.
 7. The Internet Portal of claim 6wherein the informative displays comprise one or more advertisements. 8.The Internet Portal of claim 1 wherein the Portal software, interactingwith a logged-on user, upon the user creating a new account at a WEBsite and providing a pre-determined signal, automatically adds the newdestination for the user's Portal page.
 9. The Internet Portal of claim1 wherein the Portal periodically summarizes account information foraccounts at destinations listed on the user's WEB page.
 10. The InternetPortal of claim 9 wherein the summarization is automatic in period andscope, subject to edit by the user.
 11. An Internet Portal, comprising:an Internet-connected server; and a portal software executing on theserver; wherein the portal interacts with a browser plug-in executing ona user's Internet-connected appliance, such that, when the user invokesa destination from the browser, wherein the destination requires asecure log-on, the portal software cooperates with the browser plug-into furnish the data necessary for a successful log-on transparent to theuser.
 12. The Internet Portal of claim 11 wherein required log-oninformation includes a password, and wherein the password is stored atthe Internet Portal in an encrypted form, and is exchanged withcooperating software at the user's appliance, where it is decrypted andpassed on to the destination for log-on.
 13. The Internet Portal ofclaim 11 wherein, after a user invokes a hyperlink, during navigationtime to the invoked destination, the Portal software cooperates with theuser's browser plug-in to access and display one or more informativedisplays to the user.
 14. The Internet Portal of claim 12 wherein theinformative displays comprise one or more advertisements.
 15. TheInternet Portal of claim 11 wherein the Portal software, interactingwith a logged-on user, upon the user creating a new account at a WEBsite and providing a pre-determined signal, automatically adds the newdestination for the user's Portal page.
 16. The Internet Portal of claim11 wherein the Portal periodically summarizes account information foraccounts at destinations listed on the user's WEB page.
 17. The InternetPortal of claim 16 wherein the summarization is automatic in period andscope, subject to edit by the user.
 18. An Internet Portal applicationexecutable on an Internet-connected server, comprising: a log-onfacility adapted for users to enter log-on information from anInternet-connected appliance for access to the Portal application; and aplurality of stored personal pages associated each with one or morespecific users; wherein individual personalized pages list pluralInternet destinations enabled by hyperlinks, wherein upon invocation ofa hyperlink by a user, the portal invokes a URL for the destination, andupon connection with the destination, transparently provides anyrequired log-on information for user access at the destination.
 19. TheInternet Portal application of claim 18 wherein required log-oninformation includes a password, and wherein the password is stored atthe Internet server in an encrypted form, and is exchanged withcooperating software at the user's appliance, where it is decrypted andpassed on to the destination for log-on.
 20. The Internet Portalapplication of claim 18 wherein, after transparent log-on to an invokeddestination, the page at the destination is conveyed to and displayedfor the user.
 21. The Internet Portal application of claim 18 adapted toexecute on a server hosted by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) towhich the users subscribe.
 22. The Internet Portal application of claim18 further comprising a search function adapted to search selected onesof listed destinations in user's pages for defined search criteria. 23.The Internet Portal application of claim 18 wherein, after a userinvokes a hyperlink, during navigation time to the invoked destination,the Portal software accesses and displays one or more informativedisplays to the user.
 24. The Internet Portal application of claim 23wherein the informative displays comprise one or more advertisements.25. The Internet Portal application of claim 18 wherein the Portalapplication, interacting with a logged-on user, upon the user creating anew account at a WEB site and providing a pre-determined signal,automatically adds the new destination for the user's Portal page. 26.The Internet Portal application of claim 18 wherein the Portalperiodically summarizes account information for accounts at destinationslisted on the user's WEB page.
 27. The Internet Portal application ofclaim 26 wherein the summarization is automatic in period and scope,subject to edit by the user.
 28. An Internet Portal applicationexecutable on an Internet-connected server, comprising: a log-onfacility adapted for users to enter log-on information for access to thePortal application; and a plurality of stored personal pages associatedeach with one or more specific users; wherein the portal applicationinteracts with a browser plug-in executing on a subscriber'sInternet-connected appliance, such that, when the user invokes adestination from the browser, wherein the destination requires a securelog-on, the portal software cooperates with the browser plug-in tofurnish the data necessary for a successful log-on transparent to theuser.
 29. The Internet Portal application of claim 28 wherein requiredlog-on information includes a password, and wherein the password isstored at the Internet Portal in an encrypted form, and is exchangedwith cooperating software at the user's appliance, where it is decryptedand passed on to the destination for log-on.
 30. The Internet Portalapplication of claim 28 adapted to execute on a server hosted by anInternet Service Provider (ISP) to which the users subscribe.
 31. TheInternet Portal application of claim 28 wherein, after a user invokes ahyperlink, during navigation time to the invoked destination, the Portalsoftware, in cooperation with the browser plug-in, accesses and displaysone or more informative displays to the user.
 32. The Internet Portalapplication of claim 31 wherein the informative displays comprise one ormore advertisements.
 33. The Internet Portal application of claim 28wherein the Portal application, interacting with a logged-on user, uponthe user creating a new account at a WEB site and providing apre-determined signal, automatically adds the new destination for theuser's Portal page.
 34. The Internet Portal application of claim 28wherein the Portal periodically summarizes account information foraccounts at destinations listed on the user's WEB page.
 35. The InternetPortal of claim 34 wherein the summarization is automatic in period andscope, subject to edit by the user.
 36. A method for accessing andinteracting with WEB pages on the Internet, comprising steps of: (a)using an Internet-capable appliance, logging on to a Portal server,which returns a personalized page for the user logging on, thepersonalized page having listed plural Internet destinations enabled byhyperlinks; (b) selecting a hyperlink in the personalized page, therebyinvoking a URL for a destination, and, upon connection to thedestination, automatically providing user log-on information for theuser; and (c) interacting with the page automatically provided.
 37. Themethod of claim 36 wherein the Portal server is a part of an InternetService Provider (ISP).
 38. The method of claim 36 further comprising astep for invoking a search function adapted to search selected ones oflisted destinations for defined search criteria.
 39. A method foraccessing and interacting with WEB pages on the Internet, comprisingsteps of: (a) using an Internet-capable appliance, logging on to aPortal server as a subscriber, the portal server storing data associatedwith Internet destinations frequently accessed by the subscriber; (a)using a browser with a plug-in for interacting with a Portal serverexecuting on the Internet-capable appliance, invoking a URL to adestination WEB page; (b) upon being presented with a log-in interfaceby the destination WEB page, calling the Portal server by the plug-in;and (c) furnishing necessary log-in data by the Portal server, andaccomplishing secure log-in for the subscriber substantiallytransparently to the subscriber.